Signal system for elevators.



PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

B. J. FOLEY. V SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB-.12, 1900.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

@ LINVINTOR & M i

No. 779,592. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

Y B. J. FOLEY.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1900.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES Patented. January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,592, dated January 10, 1905.

Application filed March 12, 1900. Serial No. 8,260.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, BAR'rI-IOLOMEW J. FOLEY, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal Systems for Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of two floors of a building, illustrating my improved signal system. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of my improved automatic switch. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a side view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line V V of Fig. 2.

In the operation of elevator cars or lifts, particularly of the high-speed type, the operator is ordinarily unable to know at what floor he may be required to stop to receive passengers until such fioor is reached or passed, and it is customary to provide an electric signal or annunciator to convey such information. In order to operate such mechanism, however, it has heretofore been the usual practice to connect the said annunciator with each floor of a building by flexible conductors, which means has been found expensive and short lived, as the conductors become worn and unreliable. My invention is designed to avoid the necessity of using such flexible conductors, substituting therefor a cheap and durable device in the use of which repairs are infrequent and reliability is assured.

My invention consists in providing a signal system for elevators of buildings, wherein the call and release circuits are independent circuits and in which current is used only for the instant that the call is made and the release eifected, the circuits being instantly broken then and the waste of current prevented irrespective of the length of time the push-button for making the circuit in either case is held in contact. The signal being set for the car operator by the call, it will remain set until released by him by the release. The signal-circuit is a normally open circuit and is only closed by the car when it is at the given point for which the call-circuit was operated.

My invention further consists in employing a switch whereby economy in the consumption of current and simplicity in wiring is possible. My signal system has proved in actual and extended use to be economical in construction, simple and effective in operation, not liable to become unreliable or disarranged, and requires very little repairing,

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, A A represent two floors of a building provided with my improved signal system as applied to a single elevator-car, although there may be any desired number of cars operated side by side and controlled by the system.

I will now describe the form of apparatus that I have found efficient in use. Upon each floor of the building is located one or more push-buttons 2 2' or equivalent devices, by which the call-circuit is closed when the conditions hereinafter described are such as to render it possible to do so. The call-circuit is a normally open one and comprises a battery or other source of electrical supply B, from which run the main wires 3 and A. One contact of each of the push-buttons 2 2 is connected to the main wire 4: by a branch wire A. From the other contact of the push-button 2 leads the wire 5, which is connected to the spring contact-arm 6 of a switch D. From the corresponding contact of the button 2' leads the wire 5, which is connected to the spring contact-arm 6 of the switch U. From the positive main wire 3 extend branch wires 3, which connect to the electromagnets 8 and 9, preferably arranged opposite to each other and in pairs, as shown. The armature 7 is supported by pivoted arms 7 7, which are of suitable non-conducting material and are secured to a non-conducting base between the magnets 8 9. At suitable points, preferably near their outer ends, the arms are provided with contact-plates. On the arm 7 the contact 0 is arranged to make contact with the spring contact-arm 10, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the contact 0 being connected to the electromagnets 8. The arm 7 is provided with contacts (Z and e, the contact d being connected to the elcctromagnets 9 and arranged to contact with the contact-arm 6, the contact a being arranged to complete the circuit through the double-pole switch comprising contact-arms l1 and 12 when the armature 7 has been attracted by the electromagnets 9 and the arms 7 7 thrown over. To the contact-arm 11 is connected a wire 11, which in the case of the switch D leads to a point one or more floors above and from switch U leads to a point one or more floors below, so that the signal is given the car operator a sufiieient distance in advance either going up or down. The wire 11 is connected to a fixed contact L, located in the path of the moving car C.

The car C is provided with a local signalcircuit which is controlled by the call-circuit, but completely independent thereof. I may conveniently use the usual lamp-circuit by which the car is lighted. P is the dynamo from which leads the positive wire p and the negative wire 12, which connect to the usual electrolier. A signal-light L or buzzer is connected to the wire and to a contact shoe or slide 13, secured to the car C. I find it convenient to use two slides 13, one for the up and one for the down movement of the car,

and a hand-switch S is interposed between.

the lamp L and the slides 13. To the contactarm 12 of the double-pole switch is connected the wire 12, which leads to the negative wire p of the local signal-circuit.

The local signal-circuit is normally open except during the time the car is passing the point at which the call-circuit has operated the switch in order to give the requisite notice to the car operator.

The release-circuit is similar to the callcircuit already described; but it is operated by the car conductor to release the local signal-circuit, so that no signal will be received until the switch is again operated by the callcircuit. This release-circuit is controlled by stationary push-buttons 2 and 2 or equivalent devices, which are operated by the car conductor and which are connected to negative main wire 4 by branch wires 4: and 4" and with the switch contact-arms 10 by wires 5 and 5 The positive main wire 3 and the branch wire 3, which are connected to the electromagnets 8 of the switch, form the remaining portion of the release-circuit. This circuit is also a normally open circuit, which momentarily becomes a closed circuit and is immediately opened by the throwing of the armature 7 of the switch.

Assuming all the automatic switches to be in released position, the call, the local signal, and the release circuits are all open. The car may ascend and descend without receiving a signal. If it be desired to signal for the conductor to stop to receive a passenger who desires to go up, the up button 2 on that fiooris pushed. This act momentarily closes the call-circuit and energizes for an instant only the electromagnets 9, which will attract the armature 7, the magnets 8 being dead by reason of their circuit being open at 10. This throwing over the armature immediately breaks the call-circuit at contact 6, so that even if the button 2 be again operated or the finger be kept thereon for some time it will not affect the apparatus, and hence no current is needlessly consumed. This insures a sufficient current in the call-circuit for all purposes at a minimum expense of energy.

When the call-circuit is closed by pressing the up or down button 2 or 2, the current passes from thebattery B and positive wire 3 to branch wires 3, connected to the switch 1) or U, and from the wires 3 to the magnets 9, contacts and wire 5 to the push-button which has been operated, the push-button being connected to the main negative wire 4:, running to the battery.

The switch D or U, being operated as described and illustrated in Fig. 1 by the callcircuit, the contact 0 completes the circuit through the double-pole switch 11 and establishes a connection in the local signal-circuit, which circuit will be completed when the car is at the point controlled by the call-circuit, at which point it is desired to call the attention of the conductor-for example, at the floor A, if the passenger be at the floor A and desires to go to an upper floor. The signal-circuit is then completed as follows: From the dynamo P through positive wire 7) to signal-lamp or buzzer L, switch S, slide 13, fixed contact L, wire 11, contact-arm 7 of armature 7, which completes the connection through double-pole switch 11, and from double-pole switch through wire 12 to negative wire 1) to dynamo P. On all other floors this circuit would be incomplete if this were the only up signal that had been given. If there be several cars side by side or grouped, they will each receive a signal at this point until such time as the conductor of one of the carsfor example, the first passing the floor releases the signal, which is accomplished in the following manner:

At a convenient point on the elevator-shaft at each floor I place push-buttons 2 2 one for releasing an up signal and the other for a down. If the switch has been thrown, as above described, by an up call, the contact 0 on the pivoted arm 7 of the armature 7 is thrown into contact with the arm 10, the arm 10 being connected by the wire 5, which leads from one side of the push-button 2 The other contact of the push-button 2 is connected by branch wire 4" to the negative main wire 4 of the battery B. From the battery the positive wire 3 leads by the branch 3 to the switch, and one portion is connected to the electromagnet 8, which is connected to contact 0 on the arm 7 of the armature. It

will thus be seen that if the push-button 2" is actuated the circuit will be completed momentarily and eleetromagnets 8 energized, and the attraction of the armature 7 to the magnets 8 will not be opposed, as the magnets 9 are dead by reason of their circuit being open at CZ. As soon as this action takes place the release-circuit is broken by contact 0 leaving contact-arm 10.

The down-call and release circuits are similar and need no special description. It is obvious that this system may be modified and extended to any number of floors without multiplicity of Wires.

I claim- 1. An electric signal system for elevators, comprising a call-circuit; a stationary pushbutton for closing the same; an independent signal-circuit which is normally open and is arranged to be set but not closed by actuating the call-circuit by said stationary push-button; means for closing the signal-circuit after the same has been set by the call-circuit; an independent normally open releasecircuit for releasing the signal-circuit and arranging it to be again set by the call-circuit; and a stationary push-button arranged to be operated from the elevator to close the release-circuit; substantially as described.

2. In combination with an elevator-car, an electric signal system comprising a call-circuit and a release-circuit; stationary push-buttons for closing said circuits; a switch controlled by a momentary closing of said call and release circuits at different times; a signal-circuit partially closed by the switch when the call-circuit is closed by its push-button, the signal-circuit being completed by the moving car at a given point While said partial closing is preserved, said signal-circuit being released by the release-circuit when the release push-button is actuated from the car; substantially as described.

3. .An elevator signal system for elevators, comprising a call-circuit; a stationary pushbutton for closing the same; a switch operated by the closing of the call-circuit; an independent signal-circuit which is normally open and is arranged to be set but not closed by the operation of said switch by the callcircuit; means for closing the signal-circuit; an independent normally open release-circuit also operating said switch for releasing the signalcircuit and arranging it to be again set by the call-circuit; and a stationary push-button arranged to be operated from the elevator to actuate the release-circuit; substantially as described.

4. An electric signal system for elevators, comprising a call-circuit; a stationary pushbutton for momentarily closing the same; an independent signal-circuit which is normally open and is arranged to be set but not closed by actuating the call-circuit by said stationary push-button; means for closing the signal-circuit when set by the call-circuit; an independent normally open release-circuit for releasing the signal-circuit and arranging it to be again set by the call-circuit; and a stationary pushbutton arranged to be operated from the elevator to momentarily close the release-circuit; substantially as described.

5. An electric signal system for elevators, comprising a call-circuit; a stationary pushbutton for closing the same; an independent signal-circuit, one portion of which is on the elevator-car and the other portion outside of said car, the latter portion being normally open and arranged to be set but not closed by actuating the call-circuit by said stationary push-button; means for closing the signal-circuit when set by the call-circuit; an independently normally open release-circuit for releasing the signal-circuit and arranging it to be again set by the call-circuit; and a stationary push-button arranged to be operated from the elevator to close the release-circuit; substantially as described.

6. In an electric signal system for elevators, a switch comprising oppositely-disposed electromagnets, a vibratory armature operated by said magnets, said switch being controlled by normally open call and release circuits independent of each other, a push-button for momentarily closing the call-circuit and shifting the armature to break the call-circuit and set the switch for release, a push-button for momentarily closing the release-circuit and shifting the armature to break the release-circuit and set the switch for call; and a signal-circuit which is set or released by said movement of the armature accordingly as said call or release circuit is closed by said push-buttons; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BARTHOLOMEW J. FOLEY. itnesses:

H. M. CORWIN, L. A. CoNNER, Jr. 

